Last week I wrote a blog about our trip to Vienna and I realized that it was mostly complaining. Honestly, I find traveling with a toddler difficult. He has lots of energy until he doesn’t and he has a will of his own but little logic. Mix that with a foreign country and traveling suddenly becomes more expensive and difficult than it was when I was on my own.
In fact, I am to the point that I am beginning to think it will be a good idea to wait until he is quite a bit older before we undertake more traveling. Paris next year? Yeah, probably not… The United States any time in the next five years? Nope.
Even when we get home from the trip it isn’t over. The first two days are hard. Everyone is exhausted and crabby. Peatuk doesn’t want to go back to daycare (I don’t really blame him, I don’t want to go back to work), and in general I think- never again.
Then, something magical happens. Every time. I start to see cognitive jumps that can only have been inspired by our trip. (They consistently happen 2-3 days after we return home). His vocabulary increases. His grammar improves. This time he was able to use a shape sorter and do puzzles that he has never successfully done on his own in the past. It is such a huge transition.
It is at those moments that I know, despite how difficult travelling with a toddler may be, that travelling is important to him and our family. He may seem grumpy and clueless on the trip, but he is obviously absorbing much more than I am actually aware of. And it is good for him.
But that’s not all. I feel inspired, too. To write. To connect. To do something with my life. To continue.
Yes, travel is definitely important for this family. I just can’t wait for the days when it will be “easy” again. Pack a bag and go easy. Do families ever experience that?
Until then, well, Nikola is on his own for summer camp this year.
0 Replies to “Traveling is Hard— But the Results Are Amazing”